Inspiration is all around us. Exotic locations, delicious food, beautiful people and unique experiences at work, home and around you. I thought of capturing these things in life and share them. I would like to invite you to come to Amols' Ledge(bench) and pen down your thoughts.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

This topic is interesting and necessity for me as well, since my son will soon be starting with his schooling. I think it is one area of concern for all the parents with kids and expats specially from India who have come for jobs in singapore and have plans to spend few years here.

Background

Education in Singapore is managed by Ministry of Education (MOE), which directs education policy. The ministry controls the development and administration of public schools which receive government funding but also has an advisory and supervisory role to private schools. For both private and public schools, there are variations in the extent of autonomy in their curriculum, scope of government aid and funding, tuition burden on the students, and admission policy.

Children with disabilities attend special special education (SPED) schools run by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), which are and partially funded by the Ministry of Education. Education spending usually makes up about 20 percent of the annual national budget, which subsidises public education and government-assisted private education for Singaporean citizens and furnishes the Edusave programme, but the costs are significantly higher for non-citizens.

In Singapore, the English language is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reach preschool age and becomes the primary medium of instruction by the time they reach primary school. English is the language of instruction for most subjects, especially mathematics and the natural sciences, except where other languages are concerned. Certain schools, such as secondary schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) which encourages a richer use of the mother tongue may teach occasionally in English and another language. There are also other schools which have been experimenting with curricula that integrate language subjects with mathematics and the sciences, using both English and a second language.

Details on education system followed in Singapore can be found in detail on websites like :

I would be focusing on more giving information on education for Indian expats who would prefer to have education as per Indian education system in which case even if expats return to India, they can continue with the education, since the syllabus & age criteria would be same as India.

There are quite a few options available for Indian expat children for schooling in Singapore right from Kindergarten level to HSC or 12th standard level. I shall list all these institutes, few things about how long they have been here & what are the facilities, fees & other important facts which any parent would like to know.

Singapore is home for 4 international Indian schools run by very prestigious & well known institutes from India.1) Global Indian International School formerly – Bharti Vidya Bhavan International School2) DPS – Delhi Public School3) Ramkrishna Mission Sarada Kindergarten School

I have provided information on the Indian schools separately for each school mentioned above.